IndyCar midseason review: What's gone right

How the IndyCar Series has played out after the season's first nine races.
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Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver Takuma Sato, winner of the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500, and team owner Michael Andretti and their team pose for photos with the Borg-Warner trophy at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Monday, May 29, 2017. (Photo11: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)Buy Photo

INDIANAPOLIS – Parity. Engine failure. Bad luck. Alonso. Alonso. Alonso. The first half of the Verizon IndyCar Series season has been chock-full of interesting story lines, both good, bad and otherwise. The following is the first in a three-part series outlining what’s gone right, what’s gone wrong and what’s still to come in a wild and unpredictable 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

The revival of Honda and parity

James Hinchcliffe celebrates his victory of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach at Streets of Long Beach.(Photo11: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

That’s not to say Chevrolet has been overrun. Without the threat of engine failure, its drivers have been remarkably consistent. Dixon and Helio Castroneves, hunting his first series title, are the only drivers to produce eight top-10s this season. Meanwhile Will Power is the only driver to have won on two different tracks, and Josef Newgarden has not shied from the spotlight that’s come with his high-profile move to Team Penske. Suffice it to say, the battle between Honda and Chevy, though in its final year before the series switches to universal body kits, has been an story worth watching once again.

As has been the relevance of smaller teams. IndyCar is no longer a Penske-dominated production. A one-car team (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) has two wins. Dale Coyne Racing and Schmidt Peterson Racing won the first two races of the season. Ed Carpenter’s cars put on a show during 500 qualifying. The only small team that hasn’t produced quality results this year is A.J. Foyt, and that was to be expected after an offseason switch from Honda to Chevrolet.

Graham Rahal's resurgence

A whirlwind day ended in celebration for Graham Rahal, who won Saturday's Dual in Detroit on Belle Isle for his fifth career Verizon IndyCar Series victory.(Photo11: Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press)

Even when Rahal isn’t running well, he often appears in the IndyCar spotlight. He's among the series’ best and most hyper-vigilant spokespeople — check out his Twitter and Instagram accounts, where he is promoting himself, his sponsors and IndyCar 24/7.

But his influence and popularity only expands when he’s running well, and that’s exactly what he’s been doing ever since the series returned to Indianapolis. In a race where almost no one was able to make up ground, Rahal jumped from 15th to sixth at the IndyCar Grand Prix. He followed that up with an impressive run at the 500 where only a late tire puncture kept him from securing a top 10 finish.

Young blood

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Ed Jones, third place finisher in the Indy 500, hugs his father Russell after finishing the Indy 500 Sunday, May 28, 2017.(Photo11: Annie Miller Carr/for IndyStar)

While no one is pushing established superstars Tony Kanaan, Castroneves or Dixon out the door, the series’ future looks to be in good hands — and not just because familiar faces and certified stars like Rahal, Newgarden and James Hinchcliffe likely will be around for at least another decade. Quality runs from Carpenter’s street and road course driver Spencer Pigot (22nd in championship) and Ganassi sophomore Max Chilton (11th) are encouraging, while Coyne’s Ed Jones and Andretti’s Alexander Rossi are on the brink of stardom.

Most impressive about Rossi has been his ability to pose a threat everywhere he’s gone. You'd never know he was new to the circuit last season as he’s qualified or finished inside the top five on street circuits (Long Beach, Detroit), a road course (Barber) and ovals (Indianapolis, Texas) this year. If not for some tough luck at Long Beach (engine failure), the 500 (bad late pit stop) and Texas (victim of a “Ganassi sandwich") he’d likely be much closer than 72 points back and ninth in the championship.

As for Jones, aka the people’s Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, he had climbed as high as seventh in the championship — on the strength of a third-place finish at the 500 — heading into the second race in Detroit, where he has since endured some hard luck (engine stalled in Detroit and wiped out in the crash at Texas). Despite dropping to 12th in the championship, it’s safe to say he’s no longer the series’ best kept secret.

Finally, this has been a banner year for new blood in the owners’ meetings in a series that hasn’t had that in years. Juncos Racing and Harding Racing competed in the 500 — Harding to great success — and have announced intentions to join the series full time next season. Meanwhile, Michael Shank and Buddy Lazier have made clear their wishes to join the series on a regular basis sometime soon. Expansion, for the first time in a long time, is on the horizon.

International attention

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McLaren-Honda-Andretti IndyCar driver Fernando Alonso (29),left, and Gil de Ferran before his qualifying run for the Indianapolis 500 Friday, May 20, 2017, afternoon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo11: Kristin Enzor/For the Star)

For a series bent on extending its reach beyond the United States, it could not have asked for bigger boosts than Spanish Formula One star Fernando Alonso’s historic decision to compete in the 500 and Japanese driver Takuma Sato’s historic victory in it.

The eyes of the world fell upon Indianapolis for two weeks in May as Alonso geared up to add the second jewel to his triple crown bid. IndyCar’s website and Facebook page were flooded with visitors from across the globe, constantly checking in on his progress. Alonso ultimately returned to Europe unsuccessful because of — what else — an engine failure, but not before flashing his world-class skill and genuine smile throughout the month.

As a result, IMS and the IndyCar world have grown smitten with Alonso, and the Spaniard has begun to return some of the affection. The flirting hit a new high when Alonso teased a dalliance with IndyCar during the race at Texas, saying he was “open to anything” when asked about a full-time ride in the series. IndyCar’s courtship of the two-time world champion should make for an interesting story line going forward.

With a little bit of luck and a whole lot of effort, forward-thinking and sacrifice, the IndyCar season can resume next weekend at Road America with a focus on racing rather than tragedy. And thank goodness for that.